Electrical connector

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector ( 5 ) includes a plurality of housings ( 52 ), a plurality of contacts received in each housing ( 52 ), a bracket ( 51 ) defining a plurality of sections ( 511 ) for receiving the housings ( 52 ) therein. Relative to the related art, the electrical connector ( 5 ) defines a plurality of separately housings ( 52 ) and a bracket ( 51 ) having a number of receiving section ( 511 ) for receiving the housings ( 52 ) therein, which simplifies the mold process and improves the insulative material injected quality.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the art of electrical connectors, and more particularly to a connector for connecting a chip module to a printed circuit board.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally speaking, a connector to which this invention is applicable is interposed between first and second electronic parts or components having contact pads, respectively, to achieve electrical connection between the first and the second electronic components. In the following description, the first and the second electronic components are a printed board and an LSI circuit, respectively. The connector comprises an insulator provided with a plurality of contact receptacle holes penetrating the insulator in a thickness direction, and a plurality of contacts having an elasticity and inserted into and held in the contact receptacle holes, respectively.

However, in the conventional electrical connectors, housings are usually molded by an injected art, so when housing needs receive more terminal therein for getting a better electrical connection and transmitting more signals, numbers of passageways formed on the housing need be increased correspondingly which leads the housing difficulty to mold or insulative material not fully of moulds.

To address some of these problems, one previous attempt formed a LGA connector from multiple smaller sections that were joined together with separating ribs. Unfortunately, because the separating ribs consumed a significant amount of space on the connector, a substantial depopulated area was provided.

In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for an electrical connector for simplifying the process of the production and avoiding problem of the insulative material which is not full injected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided to include a plurality of housings, a plurality of contacts received in each housing, a bracket defining a plurality of sections for receiving the housings therein. Relative to the related art, the electrical connector defines a plurality of separately housings and a bracket having a number of receiving section for receiving the housing therein, which simplifies the mold problem and improves the insulative material injected problem

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description of preferred embodiments, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional contact;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the contact of FIG. 1 received in a housing;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an electrical connector contact in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, an electrical connector 5 in accordance with the present invention for connecting a chip module to a printed circuit board includes a plurality of housing 51 defining at least a passageway, a plurality of contacts 52 is arranged within the passageways 411 and a bracket 53 used for bearing the housings 51 therein.

the bracket 53 is formed of a rectangular shape and comprises four receiving sections 511 in a center portion thereof for receiving the housing 51 thereon. Each receiving section 511 is adapted to receiving the housing 51 and in a shape of square. In addition, the receiving sections 511 are separated with each other. The bracket 53 defines a pair of projections 512 on each corner thereof for locating the chip module, spaced and vertical to each other. In addition, the projections 512 can be arranged by other ways, for example, the projections 512 disposed in a same corner can be connected with each other formed a L-shaped structure, which can also provide a locating and supporting to the chip module.

Each housing 52 is in a shape of square and comprises a number of passageways for receiving the terminals 53 therein. The terminal 53 comprises a base portion 531, an elastic portion 532 upwardly and extending from a side of the base portion, a tail portion 533 extending from a lower end of the base portion 531.

In assembly, the housings 52 are locating on the receiving section 511 of the bracket 51 and each housing 52 engages interfering with sidewalls of the bracket 51. Referring to FIG. 4, extending direction of the elastic portion 532 of the terminals 53 received in a same housing 52 is different from that of the other housings 52, wherein, the elastic portions 532 received in the housings 52 disposed in a diagonal direction are arranged in a reversed direction. The arrangement of the elastic portion 532 can provide an antifriction effect produced by the terminals 53 engaging with the housing 52 therein, when the chip module is mounted on the housings 52. In addition, when the chip module is mounted on the housing, the projections 512 of the bracket 51 can provide a supporting and a locating effect to the housing 52. In addition, the bracket 51 is made of metal, which provides a smooth plane for supporting the chip module and avoiding the deformation of the housing 52 received therein.

While the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, the description of the invention is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various of modifications to the present invention can be made to preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An electrical connector comprising: at least one housing defining a number of passageways thereof, each passageway defining at least a pair of spaced projected portion on inner walls thereof; a number of contacts received in the passageways; a bracket defining at least one receiving section for receiving the at least one housing therein.
 2. The electrical connector as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one housing is four housings and said at least one receiving section is four receiving sections.
 3. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the rectangular bracket is in a shape of plate.
 4. The electrical connector as recited in claim 3, wherein the bracket defines a number of spaced projections on sides thereof.
 5. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the bracket defines a number of projections on corners thereof.
 6. The electrical connector as recited in claim 5, wherein the projection is configured as an L-shaped structure.
 7. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving sections are disposed on a center portion of the bracket.
 8. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein each terminal comprises a base portion, a solder portion extending from a lower end of the base portion, an elastic portion extending from a side of the base portion.
 9. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving sections are disposed on a center portion of the bracket.
 10. An electrical connector comprising: a number of housing each defining a plurality of passageways thereon; a number of contacts received in the passageways comprising an anchoring portion, a spring portion extending from a top end thereof and a solder portion extending from a distal end thereof; a bracket comprises at least one receiving section for receiving the housings thereon; wherein the bracket comprise a plurality of projections upwardly extending from sidewalls thereof.
 11. An electrical connector comprising: a frame defining a plurality of openings commonly surrounding a center; a plurality of housing respectively receiving in the corresponding openings; each of said housing being equipped with a plurality of contacts under a condition that contact arms of said contacts in each of said housing are directed to a specific direction which is different from those of other housing and imposes forces upon an electronic package which is coupled to the connector along said specific direction while a combined force derived from all the housings is essentially balanced in each direction. 